Hockey Slang

Hockey Slang & Common Terms

Hockey has its own language, and understanding the lingo makes watching, playing, and talking about the game much easier. Here’s a breakdown of popular terms and phrases every beginner should know.

Shooting & Scoring

  • Bar Down – A shot that hits the horizontal crossbar at the top of the net and goes in. Extremely precise and impressive. “He went bar down from the blue line!”

  • Gino – A goal! Often used casually. “He scored a gino!”

  • Five-Hole – The space between a goalie’s legs. Shooting here often leads to easy goals.

  • Hat Trick – Scoring three goals in a single game. Fans sometimes throw hats on the ice to celebrate.

  • Beauty / Beauty Goal – A skillful or impressive goal. “What a beauty!”

  • Twine – The net itself. “He ripped it top twine!”

  • Wraparound – Skating behind the net and attempting to score on the other side quickly.

Players

  • Dust – A player who’s inexperienced, clumsy, or struggling with skills.

  • Duster – Another term for a weak or ineffective player.

  • Bender – A player with poor skating skills; wobbly or off-balance.

Stick & Puck Moves

  • Dangle / Deke – A slick move to fake out an opponent. Think of it like tricking a defender in basketball.

  • Poke Check – Using your stick to knock the puck away from an opponent.

  • Sauce / Saucer Pass – A pass where the puck is lifted slightly off the ice to get over a stick or obstacle.

Game Situations

  • Cherry-Pick – Staying near the opponent’s net, waiting for an easy scoring opportunity.

  • Power Play – When your team has more players on the ice due to an opponent’s penalty.

  • Penalty Kill (PK) – When your team is short-handed and trying to prevent a goal.

  • Gong Show – A chaotic game or situation where things are out of control.

Player Interaction

  • Chirp / Chirping – Trash-talking on the ice to get into opponents’ heads.

  • Board / Boarding – Hitting a player dangerously into the boards. This is a penalty if done recklessly.

Miscellaneous

  • Biscuit – The puck itself. “He shot the biscuit into the net!”

Knowing these terms will help you understand commentary, communicate with teammates, and sound like you know what’s going on.